ROCK SPRINGS – The beleaguered Black Butte Coal Company has initiated a second round of layoffs at the mine.

Multiple sources speaking to SweetwaterNOW on a condition of anonymity said the layoffs impacted 30 employees, with tips being sent to SweetwaterNOW as early as last week. However, SweetwaterNOW was unable to confirm that number or when those layoffs would occur with Black Butte Coal Company as attempts to contact Mine Manager Steve Gili were not returned as of publication. SweetwaterNOW will provide further information in a future post when it’s available.

Amy Souza of the Rock Springs Wyoming Workforce Services Office said some of the impacted employees have already come to the office and Wyoming Workforce Services will host a rapid response event Tuesday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at its location inside the White Mountain Mall. 

Souza said a person from the workforce services office in Casper will be on hand to talk with people about unemployment insurance and answer any questions they have.

“It’s a good opportunity for people to talk to someone about (unemployment),” she said.

The event will also provide information about other initiatives that will help laid off workers into new positions. 

“We’re going to catch as many as we can,” Souza said.

The layoffs come as the continued economic pressures resulting from declines in the demand for coal impact the mine and the coal industry in general. Black Butte’s layoffs last November set off a storm of comments from the state’s leaders and representatives in Washington, D.C., blaming the Biden Administration’s policies for the job losses. 

“Let’s be clear.  This is about coal.  That coal could be used at the Jim Bridger Power Plant as part of their plan to use carbon capture.  We just learned that part of the rate increase requested by Rocky Mountain Power was due to the price of coal, gas and renewables — clearly there must be a demand for coal for power.  Yet, the Department of Interior prefers to lay off Wyoming workers rather than allow the mining of additional coal reserves within an already existing permit,” Gov. Mark Gordon said in a statement following the November layoffs.